Combined recoil-check and recuperator.



PATBNTBD OCT. 11, 1904..v

J. P. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JAN 31, 1901.

CCMBINED RECOIL CHECK AND RECUPERATOR.

N0 MODEL.

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UNiTisn STATns Patented October 11, 1904.

PATTTNT Trice,

.IOHN E. MEIGS AND ROBERT P. STOUT, OEBETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORSTO THE BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED RECOlL-CHECK AND RECUPERATOR. v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,829, dated October11, 1904. Application filed January 3l, 1901. Serial No, 45,455. iNomodel.)

To aZZ wit/1711, it nifty concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN E. Mmes and ROBERT P. SToUT,citiZens oftheUnited States, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of North- 5amptonand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Combination Recoil-Checks and Recuperators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to a combined recoil- O check and recuperator forguns, and has for its object to improve and simplify such devices; andthe invention consists in the various features of construction andarrangement of parts having the general mode of operation 5substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein We have illustrated apreferred embodiment of our invention, Figure l is alono gitudinalvertical section of a combined recoil-check and recuperator; and Figs. 2and 3 are respectively plan views of recuperator or running-out pistons,showing different ways of throttling or controlling the pressure.

5 In the construction of devices of this character it is exceedinglydesirable to make them as light as possible and still of suiicientstrength to withstand the shocks to which they are subjected, and,further, to so construct,

,o arrange, and operate the parts that there will be a practicallyuniform pressure on the water or other liuid under all conditions, and,further, to so construct, arrange, and operate the parts that the recoilof the gun will be 5 properly taken up and the running out orrecuperation of the gun will be accomplished without shock or jar andwithin the proper and desired time. It is with these general objects andothers in view that we have construct- LO ed our improved apparatus andwhich we will now describe.

In the drawings, A represents arecoil-cylinder mounted to move, in whichis a recoil-l piston B, connected to a piston-rod BQ which i5 is adaptedto be connected in the usual manner to the gun. This piston-rod Blpasses through the head A of the cylinder', which head is provided witha suitable packing A2,

and the other head, A3, of the cylinder is preferably provided with aninternal projection A4, adapted to enter an opening B4L in the pistonand cushion the same in a vmanner well understood.

Connected to the recoil-cylinder and in the present instance practicallyformed integral therewith is a running-out or recuperating cylinder C,which is shown as closed at one end, as C', and at the other end is openand receives a sleeve or casing D, which is adapted to be securedthereto in any suitable way, as by being screwed therein, as shown. Thissleeve or casing I) forms a ,cylinder for the stem or piston-rod E ofthe running-out piston E, which piston moves in the cylinder C, beingprovided with suitable washers or leathers E2 and piston-nut E3 or madein any other wellknown and suitable way. Also mounted in the running-outcylinder C are the recuperator spring or springs F F', two concentricsprings being shown in the present 7 0 instance extending from the headC to the nut E3. The sleeve or casing D is provided with a reducedportion D', extending nearly throughout its length and adapted tocommunicate with the recoil-cylinder A through an opening a at or nearthe extreme limit of the cylinder, as shown. The sleeveDis provided witha head D2, fitting the cylinder C and having in its inner face a grooveor passage rZ, which in the present instance is shown 8O as a'circulargroove, and which communicates with the longitudinal space orconduit CZ', between the reduced portion Dl of the sleeve and the innersurface of the cylinder C by means of one or more passages (Z2. Thepassages c and Z2 are offset longitudinally and preferably are atopposite ends of the conduit cZ'.

The stem or piston-rod E' of the piston E is hollow, as shown, and isconstructed so as to automatically act as a throttling device to theiiuid entering or passing into the piston-rod for operating the same,and while it may be variously constructed to accomplish this result wehave shown several simple construc- 95 tions. Thus in Fig. l the stem Eis'provided CZ of the sleeve and thence through the slot or slots e einto the valve-stem.

Mounted in the hollow stem is a valve-casing Gr', in which is aspring-seated valve Gr, which valve is provided with an opening, as g,of a size to properly control the counter recoil or return to batteryof' the gun. This valve is also provided with a number of grooves oropenings g in its side, and in the valve-casing in the present instancethere is shown a plugV G2, having passages g2 at its side. The hollowvalve-stem is also provided YWith one or more openingsV e', which arearranged adjacent the meeting ends of the sleeve or casing D and thepiston E and permit the flow of' any fluid which may get between theseparts into the interior of the stem as the piston is seated on thesleeve in its running-out operation.

In the construction shown there is apassage a2 between therecoil-'cylinder and the recuperating-cylinder at their outer ends inorder vto permitJ any Huid which may possibly leal; beyond the piston Binto the recoil-cylinder to flow into the recuperating-cylinder or thatportion 'of it containing the recuperatingsprings, which portion may actas a storage or drip reservoir.

In the piston shown in Fig. 2 the pistonhead E* is substantially thesame as the piston E; but the stem E5 instead of being provided With thetapering slot or slots e is tapering throughout its entire length fromits end toward the head E4 and it is provided with openings ett forthepassage of fluid into theinterior of' the stem. rlhe piston E (shown inFig. 3) has its stern E7 provided with tapering grooves e7 instead oftapering slots, and it is also provided with openings e for the passageof' 'the fluid into the interior of the stem. These pistons and stemsshown in Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate now the same general results may beobtained by modified constructions whic'h are substantially theequivalents of' each other in this combination.

1t will be seen that the recuperating-cylinder C acts as a reservoir forfluid and any fluid that escapes past the pistons, either in therecoil-cylinderA or the recuperating-cylinder C, will be collected inthe front end of' the recuperating-cylinder, the passage furnishing ameans of communication between the cylinders on the non-pressure sidesof the pistons.

We provide a pump H, of any suitable construction, (shown as ahand-pump,) one end of the cylinder of' which is connected to thereservoir by a passage 71 and the other end is connected to the pressureside of the cylinder by the `passage L'. The pump-rod H carries aSui-'table box or valve H2, and another box or valve H3 is mounted inthe cylinder, and these are so arranged that the fluid `can be drawnfrom the non-pressure side of the cylinders and forced into the pressuresides, so as to fill the pressure sides of both cylinders or put thefluid under initial pressure, as desired. The passage t may be closed bya stopvalve or screw-plug /tz when the pump is not in operation.

Such being the general construction of the parts of our improvedapparatus, its operation will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art. It is understood that the cylinder A is filled with some properfluid between the piston B and the opening a and space CZ around thesleeve or casing D and also the interior of the stem t of the piston E,and this fluid may be underan initial or desired pressure. When the gunis fired and the piston B is operated through itsconnection with the gunthrough the piston-rod B', this fluid is forced through the opening ctunder pressure, through the space d', through the passages Zzinto thegroove (Z, and thence through the tapering slots e into the interior of'the stem E', and thence through the opening g of' the valve Gr andthrough the passages g2 of the plug G2, and thus acts as afluid-pressure on the piston E, moving it under such pressure tocompress the spring or springs F F. As soon as this pressure increasesthe valve Gr is forced op'en against its spring, so that the fluid alsopasses through the openings g', and as the stem moves out of the sleevethe gradually-contracting slots or grooves act as throttles, graduallyincreasing their throttling action, so as to secure uniform pressure onthe fluid in the apparatus. It will bese'en that the opening L being atthe extreme limit of' the recoil-cylinder permits the piston B to movethroughout the entire length of the cylinder and that the sleeve withits reduced portion and passages communicating with said opening t andextending upward, so as to control or throttle the flow of' Huid to thepiston E, also permits the proper operation of the device throughoutpractically the whole length of' the stem E', and by this means we areenabled to get a very compact apparatus with the greatest amount of'operative fluid to take up the recoil. VVhen it is desired to run outthe gun or return it to firing position, the recuperator-springs F F of'course exert their pressure upon the piston E, and the valve (Jr becomesseated in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the opening g therein actsas a throttle or controlling device controlling the flow of' fluid backthrough the stem E and into the cylinder A through the opening a, andthe gun is automatically brought to firing position without shocker jar.The openings e', as before stated, permit the clearance rof any fluidwhich may be between the end of the sleeve D and the face of the pistonE, and the passage a2 serves to clear the end of the cylinder A ifperchance fluid leaks or otherwise passes into that portion of thecylinder.

It will be seen that the whole construction is exceedingly simple andcompact and permits oi' the proper regulation of the iiow of fluid, soas to maintain a practically equal pressure thereon and so that therecoil may be properly taken up and the gun restored to iiring positionwithout shock, jar, or strain.

What we claim is- 1. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator forguns, the combination with a recoilcylinder and piston therein, of arunning-out cylinder, a piston therein having a hollow piston-rod, and alongitudinalcond uit having offset openings communicating respectivelywith said recoil-cylinder and hollow piston-rod, for the purpose setforth.

2. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator for guns, the combinationwith a recoilcylinder and piston therein, of a running-out cylinderarranged adjacent to and parallel with said recoil-cylinder, a piston inthe running-out cylinder having a hollow piston-rod and a longitudinalconduit communicating at one end with the recoil-cylinder and at itsother end with the said hollow piston-rod, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator for guns, the combinationwith a recoilcylinder and piston therein, of a running-out cylinder, apiston therein having a hollow piston-rod, a sleeve interposed betweenthe piston-rod and running-out cylinder, and a longitudinal passagebetween the recoil-cylinder and the hollow piston-rod, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator for guns, the combinationwith a recoilcylinder and piston therein, of a running-out cylinder, apiston therein having a hollow piston-rod, a sleeve interposed betweenthe piston-rod and running-out cylinder and having iiuid-passagescommunicating with the recoilcylinder, and throttling devicescontrolling the flow of iiuid to the piston-rod, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator for guns, the combinationwith a runningout cylinder, of a piston therein having a hollow stem, avalve-casing mounted in the stem and having an opening communicatingwith the hollow stem, and a plug-valve in said casing having an openingof a size to control the counter recoil, substantially as described.

6. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator for guns, the combinationwith a runningout cylinder, of a piston therein having a hollow stem, avalve-casing mounted in the stem and having an opening communicatingwith the hollow stem, and a spring-actuated plugvalve within said casinghaving a restricted passage of a size to control thecounter recoil,substantially7 as described.

7. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator for guns, the combinationwith a recoilcylinder andpiston therein, of a running-out cylinder,apiston therein having a hollow stem, a sleeve interposed between thestem and running-out cylinder, passages for the flow of fluid betweenthe recoil-cylinder and stem, and a valve within the stem provided witha passage controlling the low of iiuid from the hollow piston to therunning-out cylinder, substantially as described.

8. In a combined recoil-check and recuperator for guns, the combinationwith the recoilcylinder and running-out cylinder having a communicatingpassage on their non-pressure sides, of a pump connected between thepressure and non-pressure sides of said cylinders, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. MEIGS. ROBERT P. STOUT.

Witnesses: V

ABRAHAM S. SoHRoPP, JAMES KERNAN.

